healing hands

Dearest Hannah,

I am writing you this letter to keep myself on track for doing everything I can to help you grow up healthy and happy.  Since your arrival into my heart and my life four years ago, my focus has naturally shifted from my life to yours.  When my body was just my own, I rarely thought about my own health.  Now my health is important only as it relates to the length and quality of time I am able to spend with you and the examples of healthy living I hope to provide.  I am not one to want fame or unnecessary attention, but letters on a blog are a way to keep myself focused on the goal: your health (mental, physical, etc.).  With an audience (in theory), someone will be watching to see that I move forward instead of backward.

With a seemingly simplistic goal of keeping you healthy as you grow, there are infinite challenges before us.  I have read innumerous parenting books instructing me on how to raise the perfectly healthy and happy child.  Mostly I have learned from these that there are passionate political opinions on both sides of any issue, be it sleeping, feeding, or diapering.  And the opinion to really listen to is my own, the one that comes from my own heart and mind.  I am the most informed authority when it comes to you.  My heart now tells me to write you this letter.

Why am I titling this blog Hannah's Healing Hands?  You and I have talked about how our hands can heal through intention and action.  Our hands can heal many things.  This letter is about my hands holding the intention to help you and I to heal the world around us together, hand in hand.  With your healing hands you will learn that you can help others in infinite ways.  You will grow and find creative ways to confidently heal the world around you in a way that matches your unique gifts and desires.

Why does the world need our help?  Before you arrived, the world seemed like a safer place.  Now that it is my job to shelter and guide you through your youth, my awareness and responsibility has increased greatly.  The world is out of balance in many ways.  I am starting here in this letter with the environment around us: the people, air, water, and the earth.  We see small examples all around us of the challenges to solve, sicknesses that our hands can help heal.  One sign of the environmental challenges around us is the health of children around us.  You and your friends have eczema, something I'd only learned of as an adult.  Many of your friends have asthma.  Some will grow to show signs of ADHD or autism.  These are the signs we see now when you're so young, yet the challenges will continue to accumulate as time passes. 

When I was just responsible for myself, I awaited my superhero leader to come and make things better in my world.  I waited for someone to tell me what I should do to improve things.  Now I see that people like you and I are the leaders and superheroes.  We are the ones that make real change.  Politicians talk a great deal about balancing all the challenges, but bureaucracy seems to stifle any real change.  Now you and I, the leaders of our own lives and choices, need to step in to make things healthier for ourselves and those that share the same air and water.  You are already my superhero by the super amazing person you are growing into.  You are gentle and kind and considerate and thoughtful.  You take such good care of your baby brother Liam.  And you make silly jokes with your papa, who says I can blog all I want if I can find the time.  I love you so much, Hannah, that I will do anything I can to help you grow up healthy.  So here begins our adventure of healing with world with our hearts and hands.  I know you're with me.

With love,
your mama